A public hospital with roots older than the city's own incorporation
Toronto General Hospital
Toronto General Hospital traces its roots to a small early-19th-century hospital, and later became the site of the first successful insulin treatment and Canada's first heart transplant.
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Toronto General Hospital's roots trace back to a small hospital established in the town of York in the early 19th century, making it one of the oldest hospitals in Canada by the time it moved to its current University Avenue site in 1913. Its teaching hospital status, affiliated with the University of Toronto, made it the site of some of the most consequential medical research in Canadian history, most famously the first successful clinical use of insulin to treat a diabetic patient in January 1922, developed by Frederick Banting and his collaborators nearby.
Later milestones
The hospital has continued to serve as a site for major medical firsts, including Canada's first heart transplant in 1968 and pioneering work in organ transplantation more broadly through the following decades. Toronto General is now part of the University Health Network, one of the largest hospital networks in the country, alongside sister institutions including the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
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